The nation's largest rail union, SMART Transportation Division, declined Monday a contract proposal in part brokered by the White House, putting the potential of a national railroad strike back on the table next month. The U.S. narrowly avoided a strike in September, which experts said would send a shock though the supply chain rivaling a catastrophic weather event.
Representing about 28,000 conductors, SMART-TD narrowly rejected (50.8%) the contract following record voting turnout.
The engineers union, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen – the second largest rail union – voted in favor of the contract Monday. The conductors union and the engineers union make up about half of the unionized labor force, but rail unions have what is generally referred to as a "me too" agreement where the terms agreed to by the last holdout will trickle down to all the others, and if all 12 unions don't agree, then all 12 could potentially strike.
"This can all be settled through negotiations and without a strike," SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said via statement. "A settlement would be in the best interests of the workers, the railroads, shippers and the American people.
“The ball is now in the railroads’ court. Let’s see what they do. They can settle this at the bargaining table. But, the railroad executives who constantly complain about government interference and regularly badmouth regulators and Congress now want Congress to do the bargaining for them.”
SMART-TD could strike Dec. 9, or the rail carriers could lock out workers, unless Congress steps in.
The rail industry last went on strike in 1991, a national work stoppage that lasted a day before Congress intervened. The following year, a walkout at USX by members of the International Association of Machinists spread nationally and lasted about two days before Congress, again, intervened.
